Electroionic relay



Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,036

F. w. MEYER ELBCTROIONIC RELAY Filed Auz. 1918 Passes Nqv. 15,1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH WILHELMI MEYER, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO'THE CUT- LER-HAMMER MFG. 00., 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- OONSIN.

ELECTROIONIC RELAY.

Application filed August 8, 1918. Serial No. 248,855.

This invention relates to electroionic relays and more particularly to relays for alternating current systems.

In practice there are many instances, as in motor control systems and fluid meter systems utilizing alternating current where it would be extremely advantageous to provide for amplifying both half waves of each cycle of the alternating current, and the present invention has among its objects to provide simple and efiicient relays for this purpose. A further object is to rovide a relay wherein all elements required for amplin fying both half waves of current are enosed in a single vessel or tube.

Also the invention has various other objects and advantages hereinafter disclosed.

The accompanying drawing. illustrates several embodiments of the invention and the same will now be described, it being understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates a all two filament relay;

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate modifications of the relay shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. {l diagrammatically illustrates a single filament relay; and,

80 Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate modifications of the relay shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 1, the relay shown there in comprises a tube or vessel 10 provided at opposite ends with hot filaments 11 and 12 and intermediate of said filaments with grids 13 and 14 and plates 15 and 16, the use of said lates being optional. The tube 10 may be of the vacuum type or may contain a gas or vapor and the filaments 11 and 12 which are respectively heated by currents from batteries 17 and 18 are connected to the grids 13 and 14 respectively to provide sensitive circuits supplied with potentials by batteries 19 and 20 respectively. The lates 15 are respectively connected to the grids 13 and 14 while the plates 16 are respectively connected to the filaments 11 and 12 and the relay as a whole is shown as connected in a load circuit L su plied by the secondary of a transformer T, tl ie filament 11 being directly connected to the transformer secondary and the filament 12 being interposed between the former filament and the load.

Thus assuming completion of the circuit L through a load', the filaments will be subjected to an alternating potential and at each thus passed may be controlled with a substantial amplyfying effect through the medium of the grids by subjecting the latter to variable potentials of either negative or positive character, the batteries 19 and 20 or other preferred means being employed for this purpose. If the grids are subjected to negative potentials each will oppose the flow of current in one direction to a degree determmed by its potential, while if the grids are subjected to positive potentials each will tend to augment the flow of current in one direction to a degree determined by its potential. Also, each grid will tend to function as an anode during the half cycles in which the other grid functions as a control element and when the grids are subjected to ne ative potentials the grid acting as anode wil tend to favor the desired control, at least within certain limits. Also, the anode action of the grids will be favorable within certain limits when the grids are subjected to positive potentials but under such conditions there may be a discharge between the filament and grid momentarily serving as anodes, with a resulting collision between the electrons thereof and the electrons passing from the active cathode filament. Hence under some circumstances it might be desirable to employ the plates 15- or alternatively the plates 16 which are j sitioned in advance of the grids, consider g the latter as anodes and which are so connected as to permit passage of the electrons between the filaments either by way of the sensitive circuit ofthe acting anode filament or by way of a separate circuit, to minimize the aforesaid effect of the discharge between the acting anode filament and its grid. Also, these plates have been found advantageous under certain circumstances where the grids have been subjected to negative potentials Referring to Fig. 2, the relay shown therein is structurally the same as that shown in Fig. 1 and is similarly connected in a load circuit but the filaments are supplied with heating currents from transformers t and it while the sensitive circuits are supplied with alternating potentials by transformers t and t there being 180 phase displacement of the potentials of said circuits. Accordingly when either grid is subjected to a positive potential the other will be subjected to a negative potential, thereby insuring against the aforesaid collision of electrons and while the grids will then tend to counteract one another such effect will be negli ible.

Referring to ig. 3, the relay shown therein comprises a tube 21 having heated filaments 22 and 23, a single interposed grid 24 and electrodes 25 and 26, each of the filaments being arranged between the grid and one of the electrodes. The filaments are supplied with heating currents by batteries 27 and 28 respectively, although alternating currents might be used, and are connected in a load circuit as in Fig. 1, while the electrodes 25 and 26 are each connected through a portion of the secondary of a transformer 15 to the grid 24.

Thus assuming completion of the circuit through a load, the filaments will be subjected to an alternating potential and at each instant the potential of one will be positive while that of the other will be negative "whereby both half waves of each cycle of alternating current will tend to pass from one filament to another as previously described. Further, the electrodes will subject the sensitive circuits to automatic control for influence thereof alternately on the relay to respectively control the opposite waves of the main current passing between the filaments and the arrangement is such that the sensitive circuits Wlll subject the grid to a negative potential for opposing the main current with the result descrlbed in connection with the relay of Fig. 1. When for example the filament 23 acts as cathode electrons may pass therefrom to electrode 26 and thence through the right hand sensitive circuit to the grid, whereas the electrons will be prevented from passing to the electrode 25 and thence to the filament 22 because the former is cold. Thus under such conditions the right hand sensitive circuit will be rendered effective for control during one half cycle while the other sensitive circuit will be rendered ineffective. Conversely when the fila- V ment 22 acts as cathode the conditions will be reversed and electrons may then pass therefrom to electrode 25 to render the left hand sensitive circuit effective for the other half cycle while the other sensitive circuit and it is to be understood that the plates may will be rendered ineffective by reason of the be of an annular or any preferre shape. inability of the cold electrode 26 to pass electrons to the filament 23. Further, since the grid is always ne ative with respect to the actin cathode lament the electrons forming t e space charge between the filament and grid will be prevented from passing to the anode filament, thus insuring a space charge determined by the negatlve value of the grid potential. It will be understood that the grid potential with respect to the cathode filament is always strickly determined by the fact that as described the electrons may pass from the filament to the electrode and thence to the rid.

g Referring to Fig. 4, the relay shown therein comprises a vacuum or vapor tube 30 having a single filament 31 constituting a cathode, anodes 32 and 33 arranged on opposite sides of the cathode and grids 34 and 35 each arranged between the cathode and one of the anodes. The cathode is provided with a battery 36 to supply' heating current thereto and said cathode is connected to the grids 34 and 35' to provide sensitive circuits which are supplied with potentials by batteries 37 and 38 respectively. In this instance the relay is utilized to control the secondary circuit of a transformer T to control a load circuit including the primary of said transformer, said relay having its anodes 32 and 33 connected to end terminals of the transformer secondary and its filament connected to the transformer secondargvat an intermediate point.

ith this arrangement the cathode 31 and anode 32 will provide for passing one halfwave of each cycle of the current induced in the transformer secondary while the cathode and anode 33 will provide for passing the other half wave and the grids will provide for varying the current so passed either by assisting or opposing the same according to the potentials thereof relative to the cathode. The batteries provide like potentials for the two sensitive circuits and this is favorable to control whether the grids be used for assisting or opposing passage of the induced current.

Referring to Fig. 5, the relay shown therein comprises the same elements as the relay of Fig. 4 with the addition of plates 39 and 40. In this instance, however, the sensitive circuits are respectively supplied with alternating potentials by secondary windings of a transformer t and said circuits are made between the grids and said plates 39 and 40 although they might be made between the grids and cathode, substantially as shown in Fig. 4, the plates 39 and 40 being omitted.

With either arrangement each sensitive circuit may be intermittentl subjected to a suitable potential to contro one half wave of each cycle of the induced current and at each instant the potentials impressed on said circuits will be opposite. Accordingly, assumin connection of the sensitive circuits with t e cathode, each sensitive circuit will tend to produce reverse effects on the space charge of electrons and hence the grids will tend to impair the effectiveness of one another for control purposes, although relay effects will nevertheless be obtained and the impairment, if any, will be very slight in the case of tubes which work with a certain gas pressure and ionization. On the other hand, with thearrangement involving the auxiliary plates and with negative voltage the flow of current in each sensitive circuit will be dependent upon a discharge between the cathode and its respective auxiliary plate and therefore the flow of electrons in each of said circuits will be restricted to a single direction since the plates 39 and are cold. Accordingly when either sensitive circuit is functioning for control purposes the flow of electrons in the other sensitive circuit will be checked thereby overcoming the aforesaid disadvantages of the arrangement shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 6 the same shows a relay which is structurally the same as' that shown in Fig. 5 except for the omission of plates 39 and 40, it being understood that said plates might be employed if desired. This relay, however, is illustrated as employed to control an alternating current obtained from a source of direct current, said rela also serving as a converter to produce such alternatin current. The source of direct current is i ustrated as comprising a battery 41 and said relay has its hot filh ament 31 connected to one terminal thereof and its anodes 32 and 33 connected to the opposite terminal of said battery through windings 42 and 43, which are oppositely wound to induce op osed currents in a winding 44 for supp ying a load circuit.

The grids are connected to opposite teralternating current in their respective sensitive circuits. Such provision has been found to render the effect of the grids upon one another negligible even under varying voltages in the sensitive circuits.

Accordingly the grids will act under the influence of the transformer t to effect dis-' charges alternately between the cathode 31 and anode 32 and the cathode 31 and anode 33 with the result of alternately energizing the windings 42 and 43 to inducejan alternating current in the winding 44 and will furthermore respond to variations in the potentials impressed thereon to vary the induced alternating current pulses.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electroionic relay comprising a tube having elements to pass both half-waves of a cycle of alternating current, means providlng separate sensitive circuits subjected to regulable influence for effecting control of such half-waves of current and other means for minimizing interference by certain of said second mentioned elements in the dis charge of said first mentioned elements.

2. An electroionic relay comprising a tube having electrodes ada ted to pass both halfwaves of a c cle o alternating current, grids subjecte to regulable influence for determining the character of the discharge between said electrodes and auxilia plates aving circuit connections providlng additional electron paths for eliminating interference of certain of said grids in the normal dischar 'e between said electrodes.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscri'bed my name.

FRIEDRICH WILHELM MEYER. 

